When Javed Akhtar claimed culture and religion are separate entities
Mumbai, July 5
Veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar once said how cultures are often taken over by religions across the world.
An old video of the veteran screenwriter has resurfaced on the Internet, and it shows him talking about how culture is independent from religion. Javed Akhtar is an atheist but he celebrated all festivals. In fact, the biggest Holi bash of the Hindi film industry is hosted by him every year.
Talking about the same, he said, "A man is not just what he understands about himself, but also how he is understood by the world. I have no religious belief whatsoever. But on Eid, I receive the wishes. I don't celebrate Bakri Eid, but I still receive the wishes. We celebrate Eid, we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate Holi, we celebrate Diwali. The biggest Holi of our film industry is hosted at our home. But we consider it as our culture".
He further mentioned, "This is the culture of India. We will not leave our culture because of religion. Leave religion, leave culture. Culture is a beautiful thing. Holi, Diwali are beautiful festivals. Why should we leave them? In fact, I will tell you the opposite. If you ask any anthropologist, these festivals are not made by religions. These festivals were made by culture. And religions took them inside".
Earlier, his wife and veteran actress Shabana Azmi had shared a glimpse of her writer husband Javed Akhtar hard at work in his study. The celebrated lyricist and screenwriter was seen writing in Urdu. Not just that, in the era of AI, he was seen writing his latest draft using a pen and paper, just the old school way.
She wrote in the caption, "The writer in his study ..(sic)". Reacting to the post, actress Urmila Matondkar commented, saying, "The Legend..in his study".
Javed Akhtar was born in 1945 in Gwalior. He comes from a family of writers, with his father Jan Nisar Akhtar being a songwriter in Hindi films and an Urdu poet.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While I appreciate the sentiment, I think Javed Akhtar oversimplifies things. Many festivals like Holi and Diwali have deep religious significance for Hindus. You can't just separate them from Hinduism and call it 'culture'. That said, celebrating together is wonderful - but let's not dismiss the faith behind them.
Absolutely right! He's an atheist but still the biggest Holi party in Bollywood. That's the Indian way - we don't need to believe in gods to enjoy our traditions. My family does the same - Christmas tree, Diwali diyas, Eid celebrations. It's our shared heritage, not religious dogma.
Javed sahab is a legend but I have mixed feelings. While cultural exchange is great, festivals like Holi and Diwali ARE religious at their core. The colors of Holi celebrate Krishna, Diwali lamps welcome Lakshmi. Taking religion out feels like watering down the essence. Still, his message of unity is needed.
Love this! In my colony, we all celebrate everything - my Muslim neighbors bring me halwa on Diwali, and I send them biryani on Eid. Javed Akhtar is just stating what millions of Indians already practice. Religion divides, culture unites. Simple as that. 🤝
As someone from the US but of Indian origin, this resonates deeply. My parents raised us celebrating Diwali and Christmas both - it was always about family and joy, not theology. Javed Akhtar articulates what many diaspora Indians feel: that our culture is a beautiful mosaic, not a monolith.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.